Hard disk drives (HDDs) are a sign of how automotive infotainment systems are typically behind the times. I remember when the first aftermarket head units with HDDs appeared about a decade ago. It was about the time that the iPod's popularity hit warp speed – and it quickly became apparent that people preferred to carry their music collection on a portable player with a hard drive rather than rip MP3s to HDDs in the home or the car.
HDDs quickly fizzled in the aftermarket, but they have become a staple in many infotainment systems. While the appeal of having an HDD in the dash has diminished even more now that there are many other music options available like Pandora and similar streaming services, the 2014 Acura RLX includes a new twist on the now-old technology.
It’s the first vehicle I’ve noticed that allows ripping music to an HDD at two different bit rates: standard and high. According to Honda, the bit rate for the standard setting is 128 kbps, and for high, it's 192 kbps. But does this make a difference, besides maybe saving a few bytes on the HDD?
If you're a casual listener, probably not. And while there can be a perceptible sound quality difference between 128 and 192 kbps, it may be difficult to detect in a car at highway speed.
But if you're an audiophile who wants the best possible sound quality, the high bit rate setting of the Acura RLX's HDD may make a difference, especially considering that the 2014 RLX I tested had the new high-end Krell audio system. If you're that concerned about sound quality, though, you’ll probably just listen to compact discs anyway, which have a bit rate of 1,411 kbps.
Source: MSN
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